Stages
by OfPeachesandCream
Summary: Strangers, Acquaintances, Casual Friends, Close Friends, Intimate Friends ... Lovers? This story will follow the growing friendship between Shadow and Amy. Will their relationship lead to love? ShadAmy. Story by me. All characters belong to SEGA Rated T for Teen but later on M for mention os sex, drugs, etc.
1. Stranger: New Year's Dress

My first time writing here and I have to admit, it is a bit strange. I created this account on Jan 3, 2015. On my birthday! However, I never uploaded any stories here. Oh well, I hope you enjoy this story. It's a Slow Burn ShadAmy story, happy readings!

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Being captain of the Resistance didn't give Amy time to do the things she liked. She didn't have time to cut her hair even though she enjoyed doing it. Of course, Rouge was there to remind her and cut it off for her. She stopped reading an interesting book by an anonymous author because she forgot the place she left it.

She even didn't have time to hang out with her favorite hedgehog.

"Hey, sweetheart?"

Amy turned her sight from her computer as she was greeted by the beautiful bat approaching her.

"Hey Rouge, what brings you here?"

"G.U.N. sent me, they told me to tell you to stop stealing their agents," Rouge said jokingly. "I just came to greet my friend..."

Amy took an interest in her tone of voice, she knew that there was something else Rouge wanted.

"And?" Amy asked.

"And to invite you to G.U.N.'s end of the year dance ball."

And?"

"And to ask if you could bake us some stuff for the ball." Rouge then put her hands in front of her, making them clap within the momentum. "Please!"

"I don't know Rouge, I have a lot of things to do and-"

"Please Amy, I am asking as a favor. It's only one night and G.U.N. will pay you handsomely." Rouge added. She looked around the oxidated main Room of the Resistance. "I mean not to judge but...You know that this place really needs it."

Amy looked around the room herself. She knew that Sonic saved the world from the Zombot virus, the Resistance wasn't much needed. Especially when professional agencies like G.U.N. were on the lookout.

"Fine, I'll do it but I'll only go as a server." Amy sighed, someone could take her place for one night.

"Thank you so much, sweetheart! You are the best, I'll let G.U.N. know. Also, you may want to get a nice dress." Rouge added.

"Why is that?"

"Oh, Sonic will be there too!"

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Amy couldn't find any good dresses because she sold all the ones she had. She only had a regular red dress and some formal clothes and those clothes were the ones she was currently wearing.

White long sleeve blouse and black pants. She tried to cut her hair but she did it horribly due that she was in a hurry.

She was horribly embarrassed and she really hoped Sonic wouldn't see her like this.

"Can you please give me a small piece of that strawberry cake?."

"Yes, ma'am," Amy responded as she hurriedly picked a piece of the cake and gave it to the lovely looking fox girl.

She tried it and nodded in enjoyment. "Give my compliments to the chef." She said as she put the plate down and walked away.

"Thank you," Amy whispered. She smiled to herself, she had forgotten how nice it was to bake.

Maybe coming after all wasn't a bad idea to come, she would be able to pay off some debts of the Resistance, she was able to enjoy one of her hobbies and she would be able to see Sonic.

"Excuse me?"

Amy's thoughts were interrupted as her attention was drawn towards the hedgehog in front of her.

"Oh, hey Shadow." Amy added, "How may I help you."

"Can I have a piece of the dark chocolate cake?"

Amy nodded as she smiled. Shadow looked very formal, he was wearing a suit which was a strange sight to witness.

"You look nice, I didn't know you were the type to enjoy dance balls," Amy said as she offered him the piece of cake.

"I would rather stay home, but G.U.N requires me to stay vigilant." Shadow sighed as he took the piece of cake off Amy's hand.

Amy had noticed Shadow's tiredness, she could relate to him since she knew that sometimes work took the best of her.

"Would you like another piece?" Amy said as she noticed that Shadow ate his cake in a rather fast manner.

Shadow looked side to side, making sure nobody was looking at him, he whispered. "Can I?"

"Sure, get as much as you want! Not a lot of people like dark chocolate anyways-"

Amy was interrupted once again as she noticed Sonic passing by her booth.

Holding a very beautiful yellow hedgehog by her waist.

She hid immediately under the table as she watched the very handsome couple pass by. Sonic unaware that the pink one was there but noticed Shadow and decided to greet him.

"Hey, Shads, didn't know you were one to party," Sonic said. "I present you my date, her name is Diana."

"Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Diana smiled and Shadow had to admit that he could see why Sonic asked her out. "After all, you don't always get to meet G.U.N's top agent."

"And you Shadow? Where is your date?" Sonic asked, teasingly.

"I don't have one." Shadow simply responded.

Sonic looked down at the cake Shadow was holding and sarcastically added, "Eating cake and alone on a Friday night?"

Shadow just nodded, not really expecting any kind of notorious remark.

Sonic smirked at him only to add fuel to the fire,

"I would say it's a bit sad, but coming for you, I expect it."

Shadow angrily saw Sonic walk away as she laughs among side his ridiculously attractive date.

"That cocky son of a-"

"Is he gone?"

Shadow turned to see Amy who was still hiding under the cake table.

"He is gone," Shadow responded. "Honestly, what do you see in him-"

Shadow turned his attention to Amy and found her looking at the floor, embarrassed. She grabbed her waist mantel with her hands, a strong grip making her hands shake.

"Please, don't start crying."

"I won't!"

"Thank Chaos," Shadow sighed relieved. "I would have left you, just so you know."

"Yeah, I know." Amy added, "Everyone leaves."

Shadow eyes widen at the realization. Amy didn't just mean him. He was well aware that the agents at the Resistance were quitting, must of them are part of G.U.N. now. However, Amy has tried her hardest to keep the Resistance alive with the few members she has left.

Shadow couldn't believe what he was about to do.

"Hey, would you...like to go dance?"

"What?"

"Yeah, nevermind." Shadow turned around to leave but was stopped immediately as he encountered Rouge right in front of him.

Rouge smiled, "She would love to dance with you."

"Oh no, I can't," Amy said as she looked at Rouge.

"See, she can't, now I will take my leave-" Shadow tried to skedaddle but Rouge stopped him.

"She can," Rouge added. "You won't escape from this one handsome."

"You can't make me."

"I'll have Omega play the video of you at the Christmas party at our next meeting then," Rouge walked away, sexily, her black dress sparkled as she walked. "I'll go meet with Omega now, I'll see you two very soon."

They both watched the white bat walk into the Ballroom, Amy waited for Rouge to be out of sight to talk again to Shadow.

"You don't have to do it Shadow," Amy added, "Besides, I can't leave my booth and I am not even wearing a dress-"

"No, we have to go. I don't want to risk it." Shadow got closer to Amy and grabbed her by her wrist. He dragged her towards the ballroom. "I don't want anyone seen that video."

"Shadow, don't worry, I'll tell Rouge not to-"

But it was too late.

Shadow had placed himself and Amy in the middle of the ball of random as everyone looked at them.

The music had ended and people were waiting for the next song to start. It was taking longer than usual and Amy could hear all eyes on them, people whispering between themselves.

_"What is agent Shadow doing with...her?"_

_"Maybe he lost a bet?"_

_"She is not even dressed properly."_

_"Wait, isn't she the Captain of the Resistance? What is she doing here?"_

_"Did she give up already on her stupid dream?"_

The music began to play but Amy wasn't going to have any of that anymore.

She broke free from Shadow's grasp and walked off. Shadow tried to go after her but a wave of young ladies who were very interested in him stopped him from doing so.

Amy really was trying to stay positive, but damn it was hard when people were so leaned to make her feel like she couldn't.

She sat down outside HQ's garden, where small wooden stairs met with the grass. Wow, this place was big, it had everything, a garden, pool, training rooms...agents.

Amy stopped herself, thinking negatively won't get her anywhere.

"So, you are Shadow's date?"

Amy turned to head only to find that it Sonic speaking to her. "He told me was alone, what a lier."

Sonic sat down next to the pink one and she smiled at him softly.

"I am not...Rouge made him do it."

"Explains a lot."

"Anyways," Amy added, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your date?"

"Not anymore." Sonic simply said.

"Uh? Why is that?"

Sonic sighed and smiled, he was looking at the moon, but he then looked at Amy. "We had our differences."

_._

_"Look at her she looks pathetic," Diana said as she held Sonic's hand._

_Sonic smiled at her as he put her hands away, "No, you are pathetic."_

.

"Sorry about that," Amy said and Sonic smiled as he laid back on the stairs.

"Don't sweat it, it's not worth it."

"Sonic, your presence was requested by the Commander."

Both Amy and Sonic turned to find Shadow right in front of the entrance door.

"Well then," Sonic said as he stood up from the stairs. "I'll see you around Ames."

With that Sonic left the two black and pink hedgehogs alone. Shadow took Sonic's previous place next to Amy.

"I apologize," Shadow said. "I shouldn't have put you in an uncomfortable position."

"No, I am sorry that I ran away like that." Amy added, "I should have really bought up a dress."

"I don't understand why you are so into the idea of getting a dress. No matter what you wear, you look the same to me."

Amy looked at her attired, her white shirt was stained with some cake frosting and her black pants were a bit dusty as well. She indeed had forgotten to take better care of her appearance, but she didn't know it was that noticeable.

"I do?" She touched her hair, reminding herself of how crocked and short it was. Now, she was thinking of every single flaw. Her hair, her clothes, her skin, her-

"Yes, you do." Shadow interrupted Amy's thoughts. "I mean, you could wear a plastic bag and still look better than all of those girls inside."

"What?"

"But I am sure you know that already since you picked your outfit."

Amy moved her body to have a better look at Shadow. He seemed to be acting normal, no sign that he was lying.

"So, you think I picked this outfit because I look good on it?"

"Yes, what other reason can there be?" Shadow said.

Amy smiled as she put her insecurities away. Is Shadow could see past them, then so could she.

"Thank you, Shadow."

"For what?"

KABOOM!

Fireworks exploded one by one. The night sky illuminated among the stars and moon. The clock had hit twelve and it was a new year.

"For spending New Year's Eve with me."

"No problem." Shadow stood up from the stairs as he watched the last firework explode in the sky. "But if we see each other again or if people ask, remember I am an edgy, cold-hearted, mysterious hedgehog."

"Why?" Amy let out a small giggle as he watched Shadow take a few steps back, ready to leave.

"I have an image to keep, especially with the new agents."

Amy nooded and Shadow smirked at her as they both look into each other's eyes.

"Happy new year, Ms. Rose."

"Happy new year, Shadow."

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Stranger to Acquaintance: END  
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A/N: Happy new year everyone. I hope you enjoy this short ShadAmy ff, (Maybe a one-shot or multi-chapter later most likely, lol) You can tag it as friends or ship. However, I wrote this with the intent of them just being friends (Because tbh this is my first draft for a ShadAmy slow burn ff)

Anyways, thank you, everyone, for reading!


	2. Acquaintance Pt1 The Cake

"Please, just give me one more week! I'll pay!"

"I am sorry Ms. Rose but we have been patient enough. The government needs this facility."

Amy tried to keep calm, she didn't want to lash out at the government worker. She needed to stay calm if she wanted him to give her more time.

"Look, Zen, we have known each other for some time now." Amy touched his shoulder and smiled seductively. "Don't you think it will be better to talk about this with some coffee?"

Zen, a black cat, and government worker smiled at the pink one.

"Friday?"

"Saturday night?"

"Very well then, I'll see you." Zen then was quick to shout out to the rest of the employees who were already inside the Resistance. "Let's go, boys, we will come for this place later!"

With that, the workers stopped from dismantling the Resistance HQ.

Amy smiled and waved at each worker as they left.

"Well, who could have thought that Amy Rose could use her sex appeal to get the things she wants?"

Amy turned around to find Rouge waving at her. "I am so happy that you learned something from me."

"I had to put your teaching into practice," Amy added. "How are you doing? I haven't seen you since the ball."

"I came to see how you were doing after G.U.N paid you." Rouge took a look at the outside appearance of Resistance HQ. The painting was going away, the wood was decaying and it was just falling apart overall. "What did you do with the money, anyway? Everyone was happy with your cakes, I am sure G.U.N paid you extra even."

"I had to pay the members of the Resistance." Amy added, "And the rest is going to the monthly payment of the Resistance...I'll work more shifts at the restaurant this week to make up for the rest of the payment."

"Why would the government even want this place?" Rouge and Amy began to walk inside the Resistance. They greeted the few members that were there. "I mean no offense but...this place is trash."

"Yes, but one day, I'll have a lot of money and I'll make this place what it used to be before!" Amy said excitedly, she opened the door of the Main Room, where her desk was waiting for her.

"I just don't understand honey, you are a war hero, you helped save the world and this is how they pay you?" Rouge was angry, she knew better than anyone that Amy went through hell during that period when Eggman attacked with the Zombot virus. "All heroes worked here, Sonic, Tails, Team Dark, Whispered, Tangle, everyone who is currently working at G.U.N."

"Don't remind me," Amy said as she typed on her computer.

"Honestly, with your experience, you could land a job at G.U.N. and easily-"

"G.U.N. charges people, and a lot. There's people who may not have money so they can send their agents to help them." Amy rolled on her chair to look at the white bat, "I don't want that for this place."

Rouge sighed as she understood Amy's ideology. G.U.N was a private agency after all and their revenue mostly came from rich people who paid for the missions or anonymous members who were interested to keep the existence G.U.N.

But, what happened to the people who were in trouble and didn't have the money to pay?

"I am just saying, that I could buy you this place, it's honestly no bother. -"

"We have talked about this Rouge," Amy smiled. "Thank you, but this is something I want to do by myself."

Rouge went towards Amy and she placed her hand on her shoulder, "Same old Amy...Well, if you are going on a date to save this place, then let's make it the best out of it."

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"Plate for table number 3!"

"Going!"

"I am ready to pay!"

"Yes, ma'am!

"Plate for table number 7!"

"Going!"

"My food is cold! Could you heat it up?"

"Yes, sir!"

It was just like any other day at the restaurant, Amy was busy like always but still gave the best of her. She heard the door of the restaurant open, she was busy and after attending one client, she went ahead to attend the new guest.

"Hello, how may I help you-" Amy placed the restaurant's menu on the table. The person was wearing a long black coat with a black cap. Although he was trying his best to go unnoticed, Amy knew exactly well who it was.

"Shadow?" Amy whispered.

"Shh...how do you know it was me?" Shadow said as he looked around the place, making sure no one was paying attention to them.

"You reek of your cologne."

"What? I don't wear any." Shadow added, "Anyways, I am here on an important mission.

"And that is?"

"I need one slide, wait no, a whole dark chocolate cake. Like the one you made at the ball."

Amy giggles a bit, Shadow really took the 'keeping his cool' very seriously. "A whole cake? That's going to take a while."

"I can wait."

Amy nodded, she gave Shadow water while she attended the other tables. Shadow watched Amy work, it was a weird sight to see. He always saw her as a leader and one to not take orders from anyone.

"Must be hard to be an owner of a restaurant," Shadow whispered to himself but a sight distracted him.

"Could you hurry up? I've been waiting for ten minutes!" Said a grey fox boy, who was sitting with a group of friends. A blue wolf and a red bird.

"Yes, sir!" Amy said as she headed over the table. "How can I help you?"

"We want three burgers, making it a combo for all of them. One chocolate milkshake and two vanilla. Hurry." Said the fox.

"Yes," Amy said as she finished writing the order on her notepad and began to walk away.

"Ops." The wolf boy said as he purposely threw off the water cup. "Hey, waitress! Clean this up, now!"

Amy tried to control herself, she perfectly knew what they were doing but she really needed this job.

"Yes." Amy took an old rag that was in her mantle and bent down to clean up the mess. When she was done, she bends back up but that exact moment, she felt her butt being smacked.

"Well, you do have a really nice ass!" The red bird boy said as he laughs, "I should come here more often."

Shadow expected Amy to take out her hammer and send those guys flying out the restaurant.

But she didn't.

"Thank you."  
Shadow heard her say and she walked away back into the kitchen.

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Amy came back with some plates full of food for the groups of jerks. However, she found out that they had left the table.  
She noticed that they had paid for their food however and left her a very nice tip of...

"500 rings?!" Amy almost screamed, there has to be some kind of mistake.

"Amy?"  
Amy turned her body around to find Shadow behind her. "G.U.N. called me, I need to go. Save me the cake for later."

"It's almost done, are you sure?"

"Yes, just send it over my apartment later," Shadow said and for some reason, he seemed to be in a hurry. Amy thought that it must be something really important for G.U.N.

"Alright, I will!" Amy smiled, her mood changing completely after that tip. "Wait, I don't know where you live."

"I send you my address over a text message."

"Alright!"

With that Shadow nodded and walked towards the exit. Amy went back to the kitchen to put the extra plates away but remembered something.

"Wait, you don't have my phone number!"

But Shadow was already gone.

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It was 11:30 p.m and Amy was finally done with her shift. She puts on her pink coat and said goodbye to her boss before leaving the restaurant. She walked a few meters down until she passed a large dumpster.

But she stopped immediately after she heard someone moaning in pain on the inside of it.  
She opened it and checked on the inside.

And there she found them, two out of the three guys who were troubling her at the restaurant. The fox and wolf boy.

"What are you two doing here?"

"That guy...with the black coat..." The grey fox said in pain. "He just came to our table and said 'trash belongs in the trash."

"I don't even remember what happened." The blue boy said as she looked at his friend, who was trying to gain his consciousness back.

"Shadow?" Amy asked loudly, more at herself, more surprised than anything.

"Shadow as in Shadow the hedgehog?!"

Amy heard a voice come from above, she looked up and she found the red bird who harassed her being hanged from a light pole by his underwear.

"My dad is a private member of G.U.N!" The bird said angrily, "When I get down from here, he is so going to pay!"

Amy sighed, a bit embarrassed, "Let's try and make a deal."

.

Shadow had to admit that he was really looking forward to that cake. However, he decided to leave the restaurant as soon as he could as not to give Amy any more problems.

When Rouge told him that Amy worked at a restaurant, he imagined she would be the boss or manager due to her good leadership skills. But tonight he learned something new, that Amy was a hard worker and really could contain her feelings when the situation required her too.

She had his respect.

He was ready to go to sleep but he heard the door ring from outside his apartment.

He sighed frustrated as he went back to his living room and angrily opened the door, "At this time? Who the hell do you think you are-"  
"Oh, Amy." Shadow instantly changed his tone of voice as he saw Amy standing in front of his door.

"Sorry, Shadow. I just thought to give you these extra cakes I made." Amy smiled as she showed Shadow the plastic bags she was holding, three dark chocolate cakes in each one.

"Extra cakes?" Shadow asked.

"Yes, I just made them."

"Alright, come in." Shadow opened the door for her and she entered, taking a look at Shadow's apartment.

"When Rouge texted me you lived in a small apartment, I thought she meant something different," Amy added, Shadow's apartment was very modern. Wooden floor, crystal stairs, bright lights, and beautiful black kitchen.

"Well, I'll be taking my leave now," Amy said as she placed the bag of cakes on Shadow's kitchen counter.

"Let me pay for the cakes, I'll bring my wallet," Shadow said and walked away from a few steps before Amy stopped him.

"No need! After you left, a lot of clients came and..." Amy looked around nervously, "Asked for dark chocolate cake but didn't eat them, so don't worry they are free!"

"Six clients asked for the same dark chocolate cake?"

"Yes."

"And out of those six, none eat the cake they paid for?"

"Do you want the cakes or not?" Amy asked annoyed, she placed a hand on her hip and Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Would you like some?"

"I would love to, but I can't stay too long. Tomorrow I need to go to work early so I can clock out earlier to go shopping. "Amy was just tired by just thinking about the long day that was ahead of her.

"Shopping?" Shadow wasn't expecting to ask that, he honestly didn't care about Amy nor what she does. The question came out of his mouth without thinking.

"Yes, with Rouge. She is insisting that I buy clothes for dates I don't even want to go to." Without thinking, Amy sat down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Dates?" Shadow said as he opened a small cabinet and pulled out two forks and handed one to Amy.

"Yes, I need to go on a date Saturday with a jerk to save the building of the Resistance," Amy said as she opened one of the boxes that contained the cake and placed it in front of both of them.

"To save...The Resistance?"

"Yes, I am trying to buy the building...but as you can see, I don't have much luck with money." Amy added, "The mortgage guy comes every month to charge me the payment...I was late this month and to give me a little bit more time to get money, I told him I would go on a date with him this Saturday."

"That's a nice strategy," Shadow said as he took a bit of the cake. Very delicious indeed. "Sounds like something Rouge would do...don't do it too often, it could bring you trouble."

"Indeed, and next Friday I also need to spend two whole hours with that bird boy! Thankfully, it's just a movie."

"Bird boy?"

Damn it, Amy was speaking too much.

"Oh look at the time!" Amy said as she looked at the kitchen's clock. "I got to go now, don't worry stay here, I know my way out!"

"It's late, don't you want me to give you a ride? We could take my bike." Shadow asked as he opened the door for Amy.

"No need! I'll take the last bus!"

"Have it your way, then." Shadow didn't want to insist. Amy smiled at him and calmly left his apartment.

Shadow went back to his kitchen and began to eat his dark chocolate cake once again. He thought for a second and laugh lightly,

"As if I'd let her ride my bike."

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A/N: I still don't know if I should make this a series or just small one shot series in which I will be developing Amy and Shadow's relationship. Oh well, I think that's what a slow burn story is all about. I enjoyed writing this, so expect a new chapter really soon!


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